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If there are any System Center Config Manager (SCCM) users out there, please clarify my doubt here. I have used the ConfigMgr console to distribute a custom application to a client machine. Now I need to distribute some updated files of that application.

Isnt's it possible to add those files in the same package source used earlier and advertise again? Or should I use the SCCM software update section for this? Not sure if its only me, but the Software distribution process looks much easier than the Software Updates process in SCCM 2007. Please do let me know if there any online tutorials which explain how to update a custom application.

Any help much appreciated.

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I've tinkered with SCCM but don't know it inside out. You could add the files into the package source but you will need to refresh the distribution points before SCCM sees any changes.

The problem is with the advert - the clients only see the advert and so I don't think they'll pick up the newer version automatically via the old advert. I guess you could push out a new advert but this will effectively be installing the software again, rather than a neat upgrade/patch.

If you have a small deployment then you could give this method a try (suggest using a small test collection first) and check that it upgrades properly. Most software should - it will essentially be running the installer again, but with the updated files.

However, in terms of 'proper' software inventory and management you should probably try the update system.

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    Thanks for that! All that I need to do with SCCM at this point is, push a bunch of files from site server to the client. I am really not "installing" any software for this project of ours. But you are right, I need a new advert for publishing the newly modified or added files. To use the update system, do you know any links that might help me, for some reason, I found the steps required to create and distribute an application package for the first time is so easy than updating that application.
    – user30268
    Dec 29, 2009 at 18:18
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In most instances, you're just going to want to use software distribution to push out updates to your custom software. The main advantage to using the update mechanism IMO is that you get more consistent reporting.

Using the update agent is trickier and easy to mess up. We had a Microsoft guy on-site, and it took about two solid weeks to get our custom apps working with the updates service.

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